Queen Sugar – Here

Before we begin, lemme just pat myself on the back for all of the predictions I made last week. In the words of my girl, Amanda Seales, ibeknowin. Now back to our regularly scheduled program…

NOVA + VI

Nova is at her house doing some research into Old World Energy. Sis is working the graveyard shift to get the info that Charley needs…and she should. She puts in a call to a connect at the paper to dig deeper into a name she found – Parker Campbell. Apparently, he’s a ghost and she needs to get to the bottom of it.

And then there’s a knock at the door. It’s Aunt Vi, yall! Vi done came to the 9^th to see Nova. I ain’t ready and neither is Nova. She was shooketh. Sis could hardly speak.  Vi ain’t there for pleasantries.  She is there to get Jimmy Dale’s address. Nova questions her. Why do you need it? Vi tells her its nunya.  She says she needs to return something and she doesn’t know where to send it.  Nova interrupts. This is hard for her. She has wanted to see, talk and hug Vi for months.  Now she’s here, and not telling her the truth. Truth…that’s a word that Nova should use gingerly.  Anyway, Vi tells her she don’t care what she thinks. Nova wants answers. Please tell me you are not about to go confront JD alone!  That’s exactly what Vi was gonna do. I shole hope she had a gun with her. Real talk.  Vi tells Nova that she is responsible for unleashing this demon, so the least she can do is help her get rid of it. Apparently, Nova has had a come to Jesus moment, and she realizes what she has done.  She tells Vi that she’s right, she will give Vi the address, but there’s a catch.  Nova wants to drive her. And Nova wants Vi to talk to her. Nova is basically blackmailing Vi. Smh.  Vi agrees.  But, she tells Nova that she will talk to her when and if she’s good and dayum ready.  Tell her, Vi!

On the way to Jimmy Dale’s, Vi holds on to her memory box and tells Nova that she told the wrong story.  Nova told the world that she was broken, but Nova sees it as telling the world about her breakthrough. Wayment! Vi tells Nova that everyone knows that she knows how to talk, but does she know how to listen? Get her straight, Vi.  You need to accept that you told the wrong story. And Vi counted dem pages and Nova wrote wayyyyy more about her trials than she did about her triumphs.  And she has overcome A LOT. She moved on, is living her best life, got married. The evidence is there.  Nova is silent.

Nova and Vi roll up to Jimmy Dale’s raggedy azz house. Nova tells Vi that she doesn’t have to do this, but Vi is determined. She asks Nova to stay in the car (but you know good and well she didn’t).  JD answers the door looking all a mess and talkin about how he knew Vi would be back. SMH.  Vi hands over her box of memories and tells JD that it belongs to him, not her.  He opens it and pulls out the hospital band. JD wants to know if he’s supposed to feel something about this box? He is such trash.  Vi tells him that he needs to carry the burden of what he did to her. JD don’t care. He tells Vi that she’s the big success. She has her life together, and yet, here she is running back to him, just like old times.  Vi tells JD that she is holding him accountable for the pain he caused and JD says she ain’t holding him accountable for a gahtdamb thing.  He is the victim and he might still press charges on Wood. Nova walks up and tells Vi it’s time to go. JD has nothing to offer her.  As they walk away, Jimmy slams the box down on the porch. Vi turns around to give JD a piece of her mind. JD, you had to clean up to come see me because you know you ain’t nothing and you ain’t never been nothing.  Your life ain’t ish. You ain’t ish either. (I was reminded of when Charley spoke those same words to Davis at the divorce mediation. LOL) She won. She got the good life. PeriodT. As they walk away, JD’s girlfriend walks up with a band-aid on her forehead and Vi can immediately tell that she is being abused by JD.  Vi talks Layla into leaving with her and escaping the abuse.  JD is big mad and he’s about to come for Vi, but Nova is recording the whole thing.  JD screams that this ain’t over and it’s not the last that she has heard of him. He shall return…

Vi takes Layla to a home for domestic abuse survivors.  And, when Layla is ready, there’s a job at the diner for her. And if she needs anything, just call. Listen. Vi done got rid of her demons, found her strength and is being a blessing to someone else. I am here for all of this!

Nova is finally allowed entry into Vi’s house and Vi has made her some tea.  This is the first time in years that she’s not thinking about that box.  Now she knows that it’s not about looking back, it’s about the here and now and breaking bad cycles and looking forward – with no more secrets.  She is thankful that Nova came with her and offers Nova some pie. Pie? Welp…now we know that Nova has been forgiven.

CHARLEY

Charley is happy. She is at the house, in her Harvard gear, decorating the house for Micah’s Harvard celebration.  Micah says she’s going overboard. Charley ain’t tryna hear it. Micah is going to Harvard and they WILL celebrate him, whether he wants it or not.  Charley tells him that we have to celebrate our wins.  After everything they have been through, they deserve a victory lap. Yes, girl. Ya’ll do. Celebrate everything because wins don’t come easy for the Bordelon fam.  Anyway, Charley heads on over to Micah to hug and kiss her baby boy. She is so proud. I knew last week that Micah wasn’t going to Harvard. Because…ibeknowin. This scene sealed the deal.  Anytime Charley has a moment of contentment and happiness, it is sure to end real soon. *le sigh*  Keke and Micah have a cute little date at the museum, and he realizes that photography is his passion.  He is also coming to the realization that he loves Keke. And these two things are starting to collide. And, I know fo sho that Harvard isn’t in the cards. 

At Bordelon Headquarters, Charley and Prosper watch a news report with Jacob’s speech and with news about how he has dropped in the polls. Charley looks slightly pleased, but again, Charley can’t get a win, so I knew this millisecond of happiness would end soon.  Prosper went down to the parish and found out that he had been purged from the rolls for not being a resident. And he’s not alone. Lots of black farmers have had the same problem. Charley says it’s no innocent mistake. And, again…I called this one. I could smell the voter suppression in the air when Jacob proudly announced to Charley that he had won the race.  He was going to win because his people were going to cheat for him…like they have been doing for decades. #ibeknowin

Just as Charley was telling Prosper that this voter registration foolery wasn’t an innocent mistake, the antebellum hag walks in. Frances got some nerve. I wanted Charley to give her all the smoke she was looking for. All of it. Frances had the nerve to tell Prosper they needed privacy. Ummmm…ma’am, this ain’t yo establishment and Prosper ain’t your surrogate father. You don’t get to tell him to leave. Prosper stayed RIGHT there until Charley told him it was ok because this wasn’t gonna take long.  Frances wants to know what Charlotte did to her son. LOL. Chile.  Charlotte plays innocent and puts on her best “Gone With the Wind” accent. Jacob? Why, Cousin Frances, whatever do you mean? I live. Cousin! She called her cousin, yall. Charley ain’t gon never let that ole hag forget about her diluted blood.  How dare Charley tell Jacob that her grandmother is a Bordelon based on info she got from a faux genealogist? She wants to know if Charley has lost her mind!  Charlotte tells her that she’s sorry to offend her Daughter of the Confederacy sensibilities.  LOL. The historian in me is living for this. Charlotte said she only shook the family tree, she ain’t got no responsibility for what falls out.  Look. I said last week that Frances needed to hit up ancestry.com. She can get all the answers she needs if she thinks her new found black relatives are fake news.  Charlotte tells Frances she simply told Jacob the truth.  I love how Charley played this because Jacob did all the heavy lifting with this plan.  Frances says that Charlotte set him up somehow. Charley tells ole girl that Jacob is a grown azz man and he doesn’t need his mama cleaning up his mess.  She can’t understand the hold that Charlotte has on Jacob. And then, a backhanded compliment.  Frances tells Charley that she has confidence and she’s gonna give her that. But, pride goeth before the fall. And then…the police show up. And I beT Frances brought them with her. Old bish.

So, the St. Jo Police Department finally showed up. Charley has been calling them for a follow up on the investigation. Now…remember I told ya’ll last week that the SJPD ain’t ish, they prolly weren’t investigating and they were prolly going to pin the fire on Charley? I told ya’ll that ibeknowin.  That’s exactly what they came to do. They came to question HER about her involvement in the fire.  They found a propane drip torch, like those used on sugarcane farms. Is she aware of one that may have been at the mill? She has no knowledge of that. Doesn’t your brother have a cane farm? You know he does. You’ve spent lots of cash on maintenance and upgrades at the mill.  Would you say that that it’s expensive to operate? No more than any other business in the first 2 years.  It’s a big financial burden. Maybe you underestimated how expensive it would be.  I am wealthy, so I am good. Basically, Charlotte told them that she’s a rich bish! How dare yall! And, she wouldn’t have fought to get her dayum mill back from the Landrys if she was worried about coins. Have ya’ll checked into Frances Boudreaux’s role in this? They have no evidence of thee old hag being involved. Shocker.  And then they keep this party going. Your son, Micah, was a person of interest in an arson last year. And, Charlotte is done. She will be contacting her lawyer and yall can get the hell out.

At the Bordelon Campaign Headquarters, things are quite busy. Charley steps out to make an announcement. She is thankful for all of their hard work. They have done such a good job that the opponent has found it necessary to use voter suppression to steal the race. Voters have been purged from the rolls and most of the Latinx voters have had their precinct changed to a place 10 miles away. I named all these things last week because ibeknowin.  Charley tells them that without a large turnout, they will lose. Losing the race fair and square is something she can handle. But this is not that.  Prosper chimes in. This ain’t new. If this is all about getting souls to the polls, Prosper is ready. He has already teamed up with Pastor Martinez and they are going to make sure folks get to the polls. They will do it the old-fashioned way. Go, Prosper! And with that, the people go back to work for Charley and Prosper promises Charley they will do whatever they have to.  This whole thing is real Kemp v. Abrams and I love how Ava has weaved that into this story.

Charley’s spot is all decorated in Harvard colors for Micah’s party.  Nova has come over with some information on Old World Energy. They have a habit of coming to small towns and doing what they want. But, Hank doesn’t work for OWE and she doesn’t know who Hank belongs to. She has gone by one of the OWE Headquarters and it’s just a tiny office with a receptionist – a shell company it seems.  Inside the shell is a holding company, with all of their information hidden behind a trust. There was one document that documents them challenging voter registrations and the mystery man, Parker Campbell.  Challenging voter registrations is exactly what’s going on in St. Jo now, but Charley has an attorney working on it. This whole thing feels bigger than the Landrys. A group that can hide their entire existence is capable of anything.  Who are they? Nova promises that she will get to the bottom of it, but right now, they need to enjoy Micah’s celebration. 

At the party, RA is giving Nova all the shade she deserves. Blue wants to sit by Auntie Nova, but RA ain’t having it. Vi tries to intervene. RA still ain’t having it. He tells Vi that just because she’s cool with Nova now don’t mean he has to be. Pretty dayum much.  In the bathroom, Blue wants to know why RA is mad at Nova. He knows something is going on.  Nova did something she shouldn’t have. Did she say sorry? No, not really. I mean, I am still waiting for a heartfelt apology from Nova, too.   Blue tells him a story about a misunderstanding he had with a friend. Marcus’ mom told them that it’s not worth not being friends over a game. They have more in common than they have different. That softens RA’s heart and he allows Blue to sit by Nova. Look at Little Boy Blue coming thru with a word.

At the party, Charley rises to say a few words. RA interrupts…now, Charley, you know you been waiting on this your whole life. Charley agrees. She has.  Micah has put in the work to make himself stand out and he’s off to Harvard and she’s so proud. She gives him a gift. It’s a ROLEX.  And the card says, “Micah, go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Love, Mom and Dad.” Question. Where is trash azz Davis? Ughhhh. Anyway…I think it’s the message that Charley wrote that made this party take a sharp left.  As the family raises their glasses to toast Micah, he is the only one not participating. And then the bombshell. He was going to wait until after the election. He looks to Nova and says, “radical truth, right?” Uh oh. And then the bomb. I am not going to Harvard. I am going Xavier University in NOLA. Yes, Micah West is taking his talents to an HBCU. And, again, yo girl called this one last week, too…because ibeknowin.  Charley is so confused and blindsided.  Xavier is not on “our list.” Micah says he made his own list. Chile. And Vi and RA are sitting on the sofa in the middle of WWIII with looks of disbelief on their faces.  Micah is going to study art and political science and pursue a career in photography.  Keke looks on proudly.  Charley looks at Nova…did you know about this? She didn’t.  But she’s happy for Micah.  Xavier is a fine choice.  Yall. Charley is shaking.  She looks at Keke, but Keke quickly says this is the first time she’s hearing about these plans.  Micah explains that he made this choice because of Charley. He has watched her bridging communities and fighting for what’s right and that’s what he wants to do.  Charley says that’s cool. Go to Harvard, get a degree and start a business and employ your people.  That’s what the people need, not pretty pictures. Vi tells Charley to hear Micah out.  Micah says he has spoken to Prosper, RA, Wood and Romero (where TF is he?) and he has come to the conclusion that this community is what he wants his life’s work to be about. He wants to be in NOLA.  Harvard feels like a pointless detour from who he intends to be. I can feel Charley’s blood boiling.  Charley tells Micah he has been dealt a winning hand to fight against all the evils he wants to and he’s throwing it all away.  Nova chimes in. There have been lots of successful men and women who have graduated from HBCU’s…and this is the first time in a long time, I cheered for anything Nova has said.  Charley agrees. Xavier will provide an excellent education, but that’s not what college is about. It’s about connections.  The same ones the Landrys have. But, it’s too late. Micah has already put this plan in motion. He did not accept his offer to Harvard.  And Charley is floored. Vi tries to save this and gives Micah a hug.  Charley tells Micah she has been in the fight of her life in what shouldn’t even be a contest all because this country is set up to benefit wypipo, and now Micah is being offered a tool that can help level the playing field for all of us and is deciding to throw it away. How dare you, Micah. Jeezuz. 

There is so much to unpack here.

First, as a mother, I FEEL her. We have grand plans and dreams for our kids. We pour everything we have into them in hopes that we can make their journey a bit easier than ours. Ever since we met Charley and Micah, the goal was for Micah to get to the Ivy Leagues. Charley reluctantly agreed to let Micah go to public school, but her main argument was that it would be harder for him to get into the Harvards of the world without a private school education. Charley did everything in her power to put Micah on the path to Harvard – much like her own mother did for her. But as much as it may hurt, we have to let our kids have dreams for themselves. I still think her pain and disappointment is justified.

Second, although I understand her shock, I did not like how she belittled Micah’s passion with the “pretty pictures” comment. Micah has been searching and struggling for the past 3 years. Remember when Charley first saw Micah’s photography? She was moved by his talent and Micah told her then that he needed to be in a place where he could just be (public school) and we could feel his love for his new found hobby. Since then, he’s been snapping pictures and has become quite the photographer. Micah could be the next Gordan Parks. His work could make a difference. But, even if it doesn’t, Micah will be doing what makes his heart happy. I expect Charley to eventually understand, just as she did before, but in the meantime, she needs to chill with looking down on his dream.

Third, I applaud Micah’s bravery for making this decision for him, and for having a dream and forging a path to see it thru. As a proud HBCU grad (Go, Hampton!) I am happy for Micah. He will find himself and be nurtured. He will be seen. He will be better for it. But, there’s such a thing as time and place. Micah probably knew way before that convo with his friends that he really didn’t know where he was headed and that he didn’t want to go to Harvard. He probably knew when he was applying that this wasn’t what he wanted for his life. He knew when Charley was decorating the house for the party that he wasn’t going. He should have told her way before the party. He knew this would break her heart. He was big enough to make these decisions on his own, he should be big enough to sit his mother down (in private). She didn’t deserve to get this information this way. Her response was A LOT, but half of it was probably shock.

Fourth, I am going back and forth on whether this was a PWI v. HBCU conversation. I think that Ivy Leagues was the goal. Period. Not just any PWI. So, had Micah come to Charley and said he was going to any non-Ivy League school, there would have been a problem. Charley had a list. Micah had his own list.

Fifth, I do think Keke has a little something to do with this. Micah is in love love. He doesn’t want to leave her. I am pretty sure that made his decision a bit easier.

Shout out to Ava for that good HBCU story line (which I called last week, because #ibeknowin.) What I loved the most about how this played out is that Micah CHOSE an HBCU. He got in to Harvard, which means he could basically get in anywhere, but he is choosing an HBCU. That is actually the story for many of us. It was a choice. We could have matriculated anywhere, but chose an HBCU.

Now…Micah has gone and made some big decisions without the input, approval or permission from his parents. As a mom, I am big mad, too. So…I hope Xavier hooked him up with a scholarship, because I don’t know if Charley B is ready to open her checkbook to any school but Harvard – for now. And…I don’t think Charley will let him keep that Rolex either. That was for Harvard. LOL.

RALPH ANGEL

RA and Blue are doing a little spring cleaning. Blue leaves to get some bags and RA finds a gift from for Blue on the shelf in the closet. “For: Blue, Love: Granddad.” Lord. What could Pops have left behind for Blue? In Season 1, Ernest had a stroke while at Blue’s birthday party.  He probably had plans to give the gift to Blue later that day. SMH.  RA puts the gift back where it was and then Blue announces that Auntie Nova is outside. He’s putting on his shoes and he’s ready to see his Aunt, but RA is not ready for Blue to see her tho.  He tells Blue that Nova is sick and he doesn’t want Blue to get sick, too.  Blue is sad. He wants to see Nova. It’s been a while since he’s seen her. RA meets Nova outside and wants to know what the hayle she’s doing here. She says that she heard RA is giving out second chances (like with the re-entry program) so she thought she’d try her luck. Are you going to stay mad at me forever, RA? RA says he gon try. LOL. Yeah, RA. I’m with you.  Nova wants to know if they can try and talk. RA cuts her no slack. You got some more bombs to drop on me?  He heard that that info about the wypipo being their cousins came from her.  Nova said she told Charley that info after they worked things out.  RA wants to know if he and Vi are next on the forgiveness tour. That’s kinda what this is, ain’t it.  RA tells Nova that they have Blue in therapy because some kid told him that RA wasn’t his daddy (and that’s exactly what RA told Nova would happen once this book was out.) Nova had the nerve to ask why and seemed shock. But, she actually apologizes. I am not sure how heartfelt that apology was, but it is what it is. Ma’am you literally blew up everybody’s world. The whole dayum family should be in therapy, including your azz.  Anywho, RA goes on to tell her that Darla relapsed after being clean for 3 years and now her head is all messed up.  And again, Nova is shocked. RA tells her he doesn’t have to worry about the Landrys bringing them down. What’s the point of enemies?  He has a sister like Nova that does all the heavy lifting of the enemy. Whew, chile. I feel RA on this one.  I ain’t ready to forgive Nova either. And, honestly, RA has so much to deal with as result of this book. Yeah. Stay mad, RA.

After time away, Darla finally comes over to the farm to spend time with Blue and it’s good for both of them.  Darla thanks RA for believing in her and standing by her.  He says that they are all good for each other. He shows her the gift that he found from Pops.  He hasn’t shown it to Blue because he doesn’t want to get Blue upset.  He says that Pops would have been mad at him for how things went down with Nova earlier.  Darla is surprised that Nova came by.  RA told Darla that he told Nova to leave. The only question Darla has is if he told her to leave before she got a chance to talk to Blue.  What will happen the next time? You can’t ignore her at every family gathering forever (I mean…) Darla says that she’s angry at her too, but she knows that Nova loves Blue and Blue needs all the love he can get. Whew, chile. Darla and Charley some real ones. They are so much better than me.  RA tells her that’s mighTy big of her and he’s not there yet. Me neither, RA. Me neither.  RA semi-comes around at Micah’s party. We’ll see how the rest goes.

So what’s next…

Looks like Nova and Calvin are a thing and she brings him to what looks to be Charley’s election night party. The family doesn’t look to happy about him being there. You know Woke Micah gon have plenty to say.

Vi is reminding Sam about the favor she called in. Seems like Sam’s been dragging his feet.  But it looks like Sam comes on thru and Vi turns over the info to Charley. Wonder what it could be?

Charlotte meets up with the old hag, Frances. And she is wearing a fierce suit with rhinestone buttons and high collar looking like she is ready to drag that heifer…in a classy way, of course.

The SJPD show up at Charley’s house to arrest her! LordT! The people really did set her up to make it look like she’s responsible for the mill fire, didn’t they?

And it looks like Nova has one mo’ secret. She gives RA a leather bound journal looking item. Jeezuz. I thought all the secrets were out by now.

And what’s in the box that Pop left behind for Blue? I bet whatever it is is going to make me cry.

And where in Jeezuz name is Romero? I am almost ready to give up on #charmero. Why hasn’t he come by the campaign office? Why has there been no communication? Did you see Charley’s face when Micah mentioned his name? She isn’t over that relationship. Le sigh.

It’s a good thing that the Bordelons are back on one accord. It looks like they will have to be a united front for all of the drama that’s straight ahead.

Next week is the season finale! How has this season managed to go by so quickly!! Lawd, what shall I do without my Queen Sugar??

See yall next week.